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"I will turn My face from them"

Text: Ezekiel 7:22

WHEN ISRAEL TURNED ITS FACE FROM GOD

King David was a special king in that he remained loyal and true to his faith in the LORD. He refused to have anything to do with idolatry. Many kings chose to turn away from the LORD with grave consequences.

“I will turn My face from them,
And they will defile My secret place;
For robbers shall enter it and defile it.
‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.'”
Ezekiel 7:22-23

1. God turned away His face from Israel.

a) With God turning away His face, Israel as a nation was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC.

b) Judah was facing a crisis. Babylon had laid siege against Jerusalem and was poised to destroy the capital in 586 BC.

c) God turning His face away was the pivotal point.

2. The Temple

a) In this text it was called “My secret place”.

b) The LORD warned Judah and Jerusalem concerning this disaster.

i) Robbers would enter into Jerusalem and its holy Temple.

ii) Their presence would defile the Temple.

iii) Worse, they would desecrate the Temple and rob it of all its sacred artefacts.

3. Make a chain.

a) Babylon would march the prisoners-of-war to Babylon.

b) The usual way was to chain all the prisoners and then make them walk in humiliation as despised prisoners-of-war.

4. Some reasons for this humiliation.

a) Judah had become a violent city.

b) Justice was not upheld.

c) Crimes of blood were rampant.

d) Judah would now become victims of violent criminal activities perpetrated by the invading Babylonian forces.